10.5281/zenodo.5751915
https://zenodo.org/records/5751915
oai:zenodo.org:5751915
Amenduni, Francesca
Francesca
Amenduni
0000-0001-6836-1011
Annese, Susanna
Susanna
Annese
0000-0003-3296-9118
Candido, Vito
Vito
Candido
0000-0001-8295-5932
McLay, Katherine
Katherine
McLay
0000-0002-7111-5396
Ligorio, Maria B.
Maria B.
Ligorio
0000-0003-3028-5046
Blending Academic and Professional Learning in a University Course for Future E-learning Specialists: The Perspective of Company Tutors
Zenodo
2021
blended learning
company tutors
instant messaging
university students
group dynamics
2021-01-01
eng
10.5281/zenodo.5751914
https://zenodo.org/communities/ehb_hefp_suffp_sfuvet
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Summary
Blended learning usually refers to the combination of online/offline instructional methods. In this paper, we describe a university course in “E-learning Psychology” designed to blend not only modes of teaching, tools, and media, but also learning contexts; specifically, academic and professional contexts. To achieve an effective blend of learning contexts, students were monitored by academic and company tutors through an instant messaging app (WhatsApp). The unique contri bution of the company tutor to the blending of academic and professional contexts is explored. By qualitatively analyzing (i) process data (four WhatsApp log chats) and (ii) self-report data (interviews with six company tutors), we found that the company tutor contributed to both the traditional blended dimension (mixing online and offline) and to the blend of the academic and professional contexts. When company tutors participated in the chat, students moved from an organizational dynamic, featuring chats monitored by only the academic tutor, toward a more collaborative and re flective dynamic. The company tutors considered the opportunity to blend academic and professional contexts as the best aspect of the course for both themselves as educators/company representatives, and for the students. This paper offers insights into the ongoing discussion about what blended is—or should be—and the role of company tutors in blending educational contexts.